Procycling brings you the colour, action and drama of the world's most spectacular sport in a glossy and dynamic magazine.
It's the authoritative, worldwide voice of international professional road racing, distributed in every country where there are English-speaking fans.
With exclusive features and spectacular photography, Procycling brings to life the complexities, rivalries and hardships of the European professional scene.

Cycling Plus is the manual for the modern road cyclist.
Whether you're cycling weekly, an occasional new rider or a Tour de France fan you’ll find everything you need.
Every issue is packed with expert reviews of the latest road bikes and gear, inspirational routes and rides, evocative features that take you inside every aspect of cycling and unmatched nutrition, fitness and training advice.

Mountain Biking UK celebrates everything that is great about mountain biking, enabling people of all abilities and ages to have a better time on their bike.
MBUK brings you all the latest news, coolest kit, plus exclusive info on the newest and best bikes that you can buy.

Claimed weight on the Diamondback Podium all-carbon tapered 1 1/8in to 1 1/2in fork is 360g. Key features include continuous fibers from tip to tip, carbon dropouts and a molded-in lower bearing seat for the integrated headset

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

3 / 59

The tapered head tube on Diamondback's carbon fiber Podium frame

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

4 / 59

The S-bend seat stays are wide and thin for an impressively smooth and lively ride quality

The down tube on the Diamondback Podium is tall and broad for good front triangle torsional stiffness

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

9 / 59

Diamondback are using removable front derailleur mounts for the carbon fiber Podium frames. The standard one is made of molded carbon fiber but newer Campagnolo cranks will apparently require a taller one that will be CNC machined

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

10 / 59

Carbon fiber tips on the Diamondback Podium's all-carbon fork

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

11 / 59

Diamondback will offer three versions of the Podium 6: one with Campagnolo Chorus for US$5,500, one with Shimano Ultegra for US$3,300, and one with Shimano Ultegra Di2 for US$4,500

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

12 / 59

Internal cable routing for the Diamondback Podium carbon road frames

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

13 / 59

Rear brake cable routing was one of the few hiccups during our first test ride of the Diamondback Podium. The curved cable path produces more friction than we'd prefer and also rattled on our sample

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

14 / 59

Buyers will pay a premium for the Campagnolo spec on the Diamondback Podium 6 Campy variant but it's a brilliant spec

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

15 / 59

The Campagnolo Shamal 2-Way Fit tubeless-compatible aluminum clincher wheels on the Diamondback Podium 6 Campy are rare on a production bike. Hub quality on similar test wheels has been outstanding in the past

Diamondback include a carbon fiber Easton EC90 bar mated to a house-brand forged aluminum stem on the top-end Podium 7

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

25 / 59

Diamondback say the carbon fiber Podium frames will eventually feature a convertible internal routing, as seen on this prototype, but for now frames will have dedicated routing for electronic or mechanical drivetrains

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

26 / 59

Di2-equipped Diamondback Podium carbon bikes will feature battery mounts on the underside of the down tube

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

27 / 59

A metal plate protects the chain stay from chain suck

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

28 / 59

The Diamondback Podium 7 will also be available with SRAM's latest Red group

Diamondback's Podium 5 will use the same carbon fiber frameset as the Podium 6 but with a cheaper Shimano 105/FSA build kit

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

31 / 59

The carbon fiber Diamondback Podium 5 does have to make a few concessions to hit the impressive US$2,300 price point, one of which is generic dual-pivot brakes instead of genuine Shimano 105 calipers to match the rest of the transmission

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

32 / 59

Diamondback will include a compact FSA Gossamer BB30 crankset with the Podium 5

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

33 / 59

The Diamondback Podium 4 will retail for just US$1,650 - not bad for a well-sorted, double-butted aluminum frame with mostly Shimano Ultegra kit

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

34 / 59

The alloy Diamondback Podium 4 features a tapered head tube. Ignore the 'Mg' decal on the fork, though. The factory couldn't figure out how to make a magnesium steerer tube pass testing standards, so production bikes feature a heavier - but more reliable - alloy one instead

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

35 / 59

Diamondback don't skimp on the brakes for the Podium 4, including genuine Shimano Ultegra calipers to match the rest of the transmission

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

36 / 59

The alloy Podium frames come with proper BB30 bottom bracket shells

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

37 / 59

It's the little things that count – perforations in the shell of the Diamondback Podium 4 saddle should lend a little extra flex - and comfort - under the sit bones

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

38 / 59

Diamondback also have a women's-specific version of the alloy Podium, called Airen, with adjusted geometry and a softer-riding straight head tube

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

39 / 59

Diamondback will include a high-end disc brake cyclo-cross bike for 2013, called the Steilacoom RCX Pro Disc

New for 2013 is the 140mm-travel Mason 29er, with Diamondback's latest iteration of the Knucklebox rear suspension design, a two-ring-plus-bashguard crank, Easton Haven alloy tubeless wheels, a Fox TALAS fork and a RockShox Reverb seatpost

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

49 / 59

Diamondback moved the seat tube forward on the new 140mm-travel Mason FS 29er, which allows for shorter chain stays for snappier handling. The main Knucklebox pivot is now built directly into the down for a stiffer connection

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

50 / 59

A stout seat stay bridge helps keep the rear end from wagging excessively on Diamondback's new Mason FS 29er

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

51 / 59

The new Mason FS's huge down tube takes up the entire length of the tapered head tube

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

52 / 59

Diamondback's new Mason long-travel hardtail 29er features tight rear-end geometry and a burly aluminum frame for hardcore abuse. The KS dropper post will include a remote lever for production bikes

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

53 / 59

Diamondback include a Fox TALAS adjustable-travel fork on the new Mason hardtail, to provide more versatility

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

54 / 59

Diamondback's product managers infused a personal touch on some of the bikes, with aggressive front tires paired with much faster and narrower rear rubber

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

55 / 59

Diamondback's Knucklebox rear suspension design is essentially a single-pivot setup in terms of axle path, but with a triangular linkage to control the shock rate

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

56 / 59

Chain stay length on the Diamondback Sortie 29 frame is a stable 455mm

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

57 / 59

Diamondback fit the Sortie 29 frame with 142x12mm through-axle rear dropouts. Note the set screw to lock the driveside skewer nut in place

(James Huang/Future Publishing)

58 / 59

Cable routing for dropper posts is included on the Diamondback Sortie 29 frame

Diamondback might not land on everyone's shortlist for high-performance road and mountain bikes, but the company are in the midst of a major push to turn that around, with a wide range of well thought-out machines.

From lightweight carbon road bikes to disc cyclo-cross machines and long-travel 29ers, Diamondback are now putting out some genuinely appealing products that are worth a closer look.

On the Podium

While Diamondback are best known for their mountain bikes, a few consumers might remember the company's history on the road. In fact, Diamondback were one of the first major brands to move away from traditional lugs to lighter TIG-welded, short-butted steel frames in the early 1990s, with the Master TG.

After a long stint of admittedly mediocre product, Diamondback's impressively resurrected road range is now topped by the Podium 7 carbon fiber platform. The bike has a claimed weight of under 900g for a 56cm size, and a matching tapered all-carbon fork weight of 360g – thankfully, there's not a hint of marbled paint to be found.

The flagship Podium 7 gets the all-red treatment for 2013

Despite Diamondback's status as a relative newcomer to the high-end carbon road bike scene, the Podium SL chassis ticks most of the requisite boxes for technical features. These include Toray MR60 and HR40 carbon fibers (with pre-preg sheets produced in-house) and a modern manufacturing process with additional internal molds at the bottom bracket and head tube areas, for more precise shaping and tube wall consistency.

Likewise, the all-carbon fork features continuous fibers from top to bottom, a molded-in seat for the lower headset bearing, and carbon fiber dropouts.

Save for a switch to slightly lesser fibers that add about 100g to the bare frame, the standard Podium frame – used on the Podium 6 and 5 models – is otherwise wholly identical throughout.

Diamondback haven't bothered with any aerodynamic tube design, preferring to stick with the classic performance metrics of weight, stiffness and ride quality. To this end, most of the tube diameters are notably large, and the tube walls are audibly thin.

But the seat stays are broad and flat, to provide rear-end comfort without overly sacrificing drivetrain efficiency. While not exactly an original approach, it's one that's been well proven by other brands, so there's little reason to expect it won't work here.

Geometry is decidedly middle-of-the-road in terms of handling speed, with traditional head tube angles that vary between 72 and 73 degrees and 72.5-67.5mm bottom bracket drops depending on size.

While Diamondback road product manager Michael Brown told BikeRadarthat the Podium range isn't intended to compete based solely on price, the numbers are still undeniably enticing.

For example, a Shimano Ultegra Di2-equipped Podium 6 is just US$4,500 with Easton alloy wheels and an Easton carbon bar. A Podium 7 with new SRAM Red and Easton EC90 SL carbon clinchers is a comparatively inexpensive US$7,200.

The s-bend seat stays are wide and thin for an impressively smooth and lively ride quality: the s-bend seat stays are wide and thin for an impressively smooth and lively ride quality

S-bend seat stays on the Podium 6 are wide and thin, for a lively but smooth ride feel

More impressively, Diamondback are offering a couple of Campagnolo-equipped models, including the Podium 6 with Chorus – and Campagnolo Shamal 2-Way Fit tubeless-compatible alloy clinchers for US$5,500 and a Podium 7 with Super Record and Easton EC90 SL carbon clinchers for the relative bargain of US$8,500.

Moreover, the complete packages are also quite light. Actual weight on a 56cm Podium 6 Campy is just 6.94kg (15.3lb) without pedals and a 58cm Podium 7 with new SRAM Red is just under 6.5kg (14.33lb) without pedals.

We did find a few concessions made to help reduce costs – tubing size doesn't vary by size, so different frames will likely have somewhat disparate ride qualities. And while there are six sizes from 50-60cm on tap, all of them use the same fork rake.

Updated cyclo-cross bikes

Diamondback's alloy Steilacoom cyclo-cross range gets a revamp as well, with key changes including a tapered head tube, stiffer chain stays and a bigger down tube – all of which should make the new versions snappier and more responsive than their predecessors.

Diamondback will include a high-end disc brake cyclo-cross bike for 2013, called the steilacoom rcx pro disc: diamondback will include a high-end disc brake cyclo-cross bike for 2013, called the steilacoom rcx pro disc

Out on the trail, Diamondback say the popularity of the Sortie 29 trail bike prompted an expansion of the range, which now includes the 140mm-travel Mason FS, and the Mason HT hardtail with a 140mm Fox TALAS fork.

The Mason FS uses Diamondback's long-running Knucklebox linkage-activated, single-pivot rear suspension design, but with a few tweaks to bring it up to date. Pushing the seat tube forward and switching to a direct-mount front derailleur has allowed for shorter chain stays. The Knucklebox linkage's main pivot is now directly mounted to the sides of the down tube, for improved stiffness, and the upper linkage pivot is more heavily reinforced.

New for 2013 is the 140mm-travel mason 29er, with diamondback's latest iteration of the knucklebox rear suspension design, a two-ring-plus-bashguard crank, easton haven alloy tubeless wheels, a fox talas fork and a rockshox reverb seatpost: new for 2013 is the 140mm-travel mason 29er, with diamondback's latest iteration of the knucklebox rear suspension design, a two-ring-plus-bashguard crank, easton haven alloy tubeless wheels, a fox talas fork and a rockshox reverb seatpost

Interestingly, Diamondback's product managers have also squeezed in what's long-been a favorite tire setup compound among industry insiders: a very aggressive and voluminous front tire matched with a much smaller and faster rear – in this case a 2.2in Kenda Nevegal paired with a 2in Kenda Slant Six.

The Mason HT does without rear suspension in favor of a burly alloy frame with a very short rear end, for more maneuverability. The long fork yields an unusually slack (at least for a hardtail), 66-degree head tube angle, and Diamondback also equip the bike with a 1x10 drivetrain and lightweight MRP 1.X guide. Key component standouts include WTB i23 rims, Race Face alloy crank arms, a Fox 34 TALAS 29 CTD Evolution fork and a remote KS dropper post.

Diamondback's new mason long-travel hardtail 29er features tight rear-end geometry and a burly aluminum frame for hardcore abuse. the ks dropper post will include a remote lever for production bikes: diamondback's new mason long-travel hardtail 29er features tight rear-end geometry and a burly aluminum frame for hardcore abuse. the ks dropper post will include a remote lever for production bikes

The Mason HT features tight rear-end geometry

Diamondback's new carbon bikes are slated for delivery next spring (although the carbon Podiums were actually introduced as a 2012 model, so current bikes might still be available). New alloy road, cyclo-cross and mountain bikes should be available in the fall.

Stay tuned for a first ride report on Diamondback's top-end Podium 7 in the coming days, too.